The Bearded Lady or the Beardo is the local synonymous with a safe space for creatives to gather. A small but busy venue with wheelchair access and plenty of places to sit, The Beardo offers light meals, a selection of beers on tap and an array of cocktails, wine, and spirits. A lively venue, The Beardo is always filled with the hum of live music, with a little something for everyone.
Meanjins local, Dopamine is a four-piece band shaking the foundations of the local scene and beyond since 2018. With Finely Miller on lead vocal, Ollie Whitaker on drums, Harry Wall on bass, and the newest addition, Aaron McNamara, Dopamine have already opened for such acts as British India and Last Dinosaur.
Fusing influences of Brit-pop and garage rock, Dopamine’s sound is reminiscent of The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and just a touch of Powderfinger. On their returning gig, Dopamine’s brought to the stage their fleshed-out sound combining contemplative lyrics with rich hooks and pop flavours. Their 11-song setlist was packed full of their best-known tracks, “Decide”, latest single, “Breakdown”, and new untitled songs fresh for the audience.
The gig opened with the laid-back sounds of Rich Uncle and the pop-punk style of Lounge, which created an easy vibe and warm atmosphere.
Old fans mingled alongside new ones, and as Dopamine played, the infectious energy of the audience never faded. High on the beat, the crowd whistled, cheered and sang along to old favourites and new bops.Although an intimate stage, the sound packs a big punch and whether you’re catching up over a drink in the front room, you’ll always find yourself toe-tapping to the musical heartbeat that keeps the Beardo alive.
Before closing for the holidays, The Beardo have a few gigs, including June Jones on the 23rd and Descent 28th. They then kickstart 2023 with Garage Rock Showdown on January 6th.
The Bearded Lady:
Location:
138 Boundary St, West End
Hours:
- Wednesday & Thursday: 5pm – 12am
- Friday: 5pm-1am
- Saturday: 1pm-1am
- Sunday:1pm- 12am
